This invention relates to a metal cutting tool such as a milling, a turning or a drilling tool having exchangeable cutting inserts. The invention is particularly concerned with such metal cutting tools wherein the exchangeable cutting insert is mounted on a replaceable cartridge seat which is, in its turn releasably fitted in a receiving pocket formed in a tool holder of the cutting tool.
The use of such replaceable cartridge seats is particularly indicated where it is desired to avoid or at least minimize damage to the tool holder itself as a consequence of wear or breakage of the exchangeable insert. Thus, where the insert is directly mounted on the tool holder, it will be readily appreciated that extensive wear of the insert or breakage thereof can result in damage to the tool holder which then has to be taken out of use for repair or replacement. Where however the insert is mounted on a replaceable cartridge seat, only the latter has to be replaced when necessary thereby minimizing the expense involved in replacing or repairing the tool holder as a whole.
With the use of such replaceable cartridge seats a problem arises of ensuring the substantially constant spatial disposition of the cutting insert within the tool holder of the cutting tool. Thus, seeing that the cutting insert is held in the cutting tool via the replaceable cartridge seat, variations in the dimensions of the replaceable cartridge seat and in its relative spatial location in the tool holder, are immediately translated into variations in the relative spatial disposition of the cutting insert and such variations give rise to undesirable aspects of the cutting process.